Footwear packaging with opening wherein footwear can be seen and touched

ABSTRACT

A footwear package is provided with an opening (45) that allows to user to view and touch the footwear and its materials of manufacture even when the package is closed; further the package is equipped with a hanging mechanism (43) and can be converted into a carrier bag. The package comprises a tongue (44) which is inserted into the footwear to secure it in a steady position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to footwear packaging and morespecifically to an improved package of carrying and selling footwear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The shoes, following their manufacture, are packaged in boxes to beconveyed from the factory to warehouses and points of sale through thesupply chain. It is also widely known that the sales and repeat sales ofgoods are greatly affected positively or negatively by customer serviceand unique consumer experience throughout the in-store process ofresearch, testing and purchase of goods.

Shoe boxes are nothing new in the world of packaging and constitutevariations of the form as shown in FIG. 4a . They are made fromshapeless cardboard, are die-cut into the shape as shown in FIG. 4b andshaped into a package that closes with a lid 39 after folding. A printedsticker is attached to the package 41 as shown in FIG. 4a , containingall the necessary information required for tracking, storing andselecting footwear throughout the supply chain, such as the name ofmodel, color and size.

The box shown in FIG. 4a has a hole 37 that allows the salesperson toinsert his finger and slide the box out of the shelf and remove it fromthe secondary packaging as shown in FIG. 4e . The placement of theseholes 37 also serves another purpose. It allows the transportation ofthese boxes by holding one in each hand, by inserting the forefinger ormiddle finger in the hole 37 and tightening the package herein with theforefinger on its outside surface. The maximum number of boxes capableof being carried and removed from the secondary packaging are up to twoevery time, holding and taking away one package with each hand.

For the transportation of more than two packages, the user must carrythe boxes in the way shown in FIG. 5a . In this case, the maximum numberof packages an average person can hold is up to six and can reach up toseven should the height of the salesperson exceed that of an averageperson so that he can have the minimum amount of visibility ensuring hissafe moving around.

Footwear packaging has certain drawbacks. One disadvantage is thedelayed consumer service attributed to the fact that the packages areclosed, thus hindering visibility of the design and colour of footwear.As a result, salespeople are required to memorize the names of design offootwear by reading the sticker 41 on the box. Then, they look for thedesired design in the storeroom, going through the stickers 41 on allthe stored packages. Having found the desired box, the shoe box isopened to ensure that it contains the right design and colour offootwear.

Another downside is that shoe packaging requires additional storagespace in the store for the storage of boxes with the sample footwear. Itis common practice for shoe packages to be stored in the warehouse withonly one shoe contained in the box. Over and above the additionalstorage room required for the keeping of these shoe boxes, the detectionof the package containing the right type of shoe is further delayedsince the number of boxes accumulated is greater. Not only is theprocess of finding the right shoe package time-consuming but alsocost-intensive as this delay results in increased operational costssince the company must rent and use facilities with a larger space.

On the downside, the footwear can also be subjected to malicious removalfrom the package without anyone noticing since the content is notvisible when the shoe boxes are closed, thus inflicting on the companyadditional financial costs.

The fact that the shoe boxes herein are not consumer-friendly when theshop is crowded and when the salesperson is not available adds to itsdisadvantages. When the shoe boxes are closed and the content notvisible, self-serve customer service comes up short as the consumercannot find the design and colour of footwear available for his size.

It is common knowledge that salespeople, in order to motivate customersto purchase more than one pair of shoes, follow a sales strategy inwhich they show the customer more than one design and colour akin to thedesign of footwear chosen by the consumer. Customer service is sloweddown further since the process of finding the shoe boxes in thestoreroom requires the memorization of more than one design name andsubsequently the reading of the stickers 41 attached on them.

Footwear is placed in the way shown in FIG. 4d , where each shoe isreversed 180 degrees to each other, with the toecap of one shoe comingin contact with the aperture area of the other shoe and with the solessitting on opposite sides. To avoid this negative consequence of shoesshape being warped, tissue paper balls are inserted into the shoe sothat their form and shape shall be retained. These tissue paper ballsare not only costly but also increase the total weight of packaging,thus leading to an increase in transportation costs during theirtransportation across the whole supply chain. In terms ofsustainability, their disposal following consumer use contributes toenvironmental pollution.

Shoe boxes following sale are put into carrier bags leading to anincrease in total product costs and contributing to the overall amountof carbon footprint.

It is known that there is a kind of box with a window 64 as shown inFIG. 4c , allowing only a limited degree of visibility due to thewindow's small size to ensure the necessary amount of durability. It isalso known from Patent US 20100314268 A1 a kind of packaging with aspecially formed slot allowing the entrance of a photo depicting thefootwear contained in the box into a special casing.

Both of these solutions are not only time-consuming but also costlysince they require considerable manual work and the use of additionalmaterials such as glue and a transparent plastic film attached to thewindow of the box. Moreover, they are not eco-friendly as they usematerials that are difficult to separate during the recycling process,such as glue and the transparent film stuck on the cardboard.

For the production of the package of Patent US 20100314268 A1,additional work and costs are necessary. For instance, footwearphotographing, processing of photos, printing, cutting and manualpositioning of the photos into the specially designed area of the shoebox.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The benefits of this invention are multiple. Besides serving itsfunctional purpose as a carrying and storage package, it allows directvisibility and touch-ability of footwear and materials of manufacturewhen closed without requiring any action on the part of the user i.eopening the box. Consequently, it is consumer-friendly as it allows theconsumer to serve himself in a hassle-free manner, thus enhancingconsumer experience. In terms of salesperson experience, the salespersoncan identify the shoe boxes very fast without having to memorize all theshoe model names and is able to verify whether the correct pair of shoesis contained in the box without having to open the box to find out.

The tongue 44 that is placed within the shoe gives it the advantage oflocking them in place, without any fear of the shoe becoming unfastened,keeping it in a steady position inside the box as shown in FIG. 1 a,thus enabling the storage and placement of the box herein in anydirection which prevents the footwear from transfer and removal from thebox. Additionally, since the shoes are locked in place and positionedalongside each other, they are not subject to shape distortion and theneed for paper balls is eradicated. Thus, the absence of paper ballsreduces packaging weight and packaging costs. On top of that, it reducesthe transportation costs across the entire supply chain making shoepackaging more environmentally-friendly thanks to its reduced weight andgreater resource efficiency as the amount of material for manufacture isless.

It has the advantage to be equipped with an inbuilt hanging mechanism 43as shown in FIG. 6b and can be put perpendicularly as is shown in FIG.8a , FIG. 8b and FIG. 8c on a shelf or hung on a hook or rod as shown inFIG. 6b retaining the advantage of allowing the direct visibility andtouch-ability of footwear and materials of manufacture. Even if piled inthe traditional way on top of one another, the said package has a slopethat makes the finding of the desired design much easier whatever theheight of the shelf when compared to its predecessors thanks to theideal angle formed by the walls of the box which affords the uservisibility of a wider surface thus facilitating the spotting of thedesired design. FIG. 9a illustrates the viewing of package from on high,FIG. 9b at eye level and FIG. 9c at low shelf level.

To its credit, this type of packaging allows the simultaneousdisposition and removal from the secondary packaging of eight packets,four in each hand as shown in FIG. 5b . It also allows unhinderedviewing and safe salesperson movement to the storehouse and to theshowroom with eight boxes on his hands irrespective of the salesperson'sheight. Consequently, the packing of the secondary package is expedited,as inside the package described are contained eight boxes each time,thus accelerating the speed of in-store efficiency and organization.Prior packaging design enabled the removal of only two boxes while withthis innovative shoe packaging there is a fourfold increase in thenumber of packets, allowing the removal of eight boxes.

This said footwear packaging can be converted into a carrier handbagwithout the use of additional materials like cord, plastic or ropehandles and without even requiring the use of a bag as shown in FIG. 7,thereby decreasing the total packaging cost.

This said footwear packaging is lighter since the weight of the parcelis 25%-60% lighter than its antecedent counterparts and the use of rawmaterial for the making of the specific box is down by 25%-60% whencompared to previous types of shoe boxes. Consequently, theirmanufacture and transportation across the entire supply chain is lesscostly and more environmentally sustainable.

An additional advantage is the ability to display its content in theshop window through the openings it is furnished with, as it allowsconsumers to see and touch the footwear and its materials of manufacturein an unhindered way. The shoes specified can be displayed both when theshoe box is closed and when it is open as is shown by FIG. 11, therebysaving storage room in the warehouse and money as the store owners arenot forced to move to larger premises to cover storage needs.

Additionally, the malicious removal of footwear from the box isprevented since the shoes can be seen through the openings 45. Thus, anyremoval of footwear can immediately be perceived.

Usually in trade, the supply chain must be optimal and footwearpackaging must be both economical and attractive to the prospectiveconsumer when presented to the customer during the sale. The appeal ofthis invention doesn't not only lie in its graphic design but also inits functionality as it affords ample viewing of the footwear andtactile experience of shoe design, color and material of manufacture,thus making it more use-friendly and attractive to the customer.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of theinvention herein described are not intended to limit the scope of theclaims and are merely illustrative of the application of the principlesof the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the package in a three-dimensional form,

FIG. 1b shows the openings of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2a shows the rear side view of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2b shows the front side view of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2c shows the plan view of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 2d shows the side view of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows the die-line of the package of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4a shows previous footwear packaging,

FIG. 4b shows the die-line of a prior package of footwear,

FIG. 4c shows a prior package with a window on which has been stuck atransparent plastic film,

FIG. 4d shows the way of footwear disposition inside the previouspackage of footwear,

FIG. 4e shows a secondary packaging,

FIG. 5a shows the salesman embracing the packages containing thefootwear while transportation,

FIG. 5b shows the way in which the salesman can transport simultaneouslythe 4 packages shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6a shows the hanging mechanism of the package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6b shows the package of FIG. 1 hung in bars,

FIG. 7 shows the use of package shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 8a ,

FIG. 8b and

FIG. 8c shows ways of stacking of packaging shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 9a ,

FIG. 9b and

FIG. 9c shows they ways of stacking of packages shown in FIG. 1depending on the height of bookshelf that they are placed on,

FIG. 10 shows the way in which one of the flaps of the package shown inFIG. 1 is manufactured,

FIG. 11 shows ways in which footwear is displayed in the shopping windowtogether with the package shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to shoe packaging formed out of a sheet ofshapeless cardboard as shown in FIG. 1. Other materials can be used aswell such as paper, paper pulp or even another flexible material e.gsheet of plastic.

The package shown in FIG. 1 is made by die-cutting the shapelessmaterial into the shape shown in FIG. 3.

The die-cut and already shaped sheet uses as its base panel the surface18. From the said base are extended outward lateral walls 42, 19. Fromlateral wall 42 is extended outward wall 4 and from wall 19 is extendedwall 26.

From walls 18, 42, 4 are extended outward two optional flaps which areacross each other as shown in FIG. 3. Each flap consists of fivetriangular surfaces 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

The surfaces 5, 6 fold at the intersection of edges 50 forming an angleof 180 degrees while surface 7 folds at intersection of edges 51, viceversa when compared to surface 6 and is tangent to its rear side.Surface 8 folds at a 90 degrees angle in relation to surface 18 whilesurface 9 folds at intersection of edges 53 at an angle of 180 degreesand is placed behind surface 8. At the same time, lateral wall 42 foldsat an angle of 90 degrees with surface 18 which forms the base of thepackage. The protrusions 10 extending outwards from surface 6 and theprotrusions 11 extending outwards from surface 7 are optional and areinserted into the two optional slots 12 a, 12 b of lateral wall 42 asshown in FIG. 10.

From wall 19 two optional flaps are extended, being formed by surfaces23, 24 and the said flaps are disposed opposite one another. From wall26 are extended outward surfaces 25, each disposed opposite the other.

Surface 24 folds at intersection of edges 57 at an angle of 90 degreeswhile at the same time, surface 25 folds at intersection of edges 60 atan angle of 90 degrees in relation to wall 26.

After that, wall 26 folds at intersection of edges 59 until surface 25touches the rear part of surface 24. Having done that, surface 23 foldsat intersection of edges 58 and protrusions 22 are inserted into theslots 20 a, 20 b so that surfaces 19, 26, 24 are locked together.

From wall 4 is extended outwards wall 2, folding at intersection ofedges 46 forming an angle between 80 and 145 degrees, thus forming atongue 44 which is inserted into the shoe. From wall 2 is extendedoutward an optional surface 1 which folds at intersection of edges 47 atan angle of between 90 and 120 degrees.

To close the package, surface 30 on the wall 26 folds at intersection 61at an angle of 90 degrees. Subsequently, the locked walls 19, 26 fold atintersection 56 so that wall 26 can be found underneath wall 4 andintersection of edges 61 can be tangent to intersection 46. Thisoptional lock 3 is extended outward from wall 4 and folds at theintersection of edge 61 and then is inserted into slot 28 to lock thepackage.

When closed, the package creates two openings 45 which are not coveredby material as shown in FIG. lb, enabling viewing and visibility of thefootwear.

Folding outward surface 14 at intersection of edges 32 at an anglebetween 80 and 110 degrees and subsequently intersections of edges 16,63 so that intersections of edges 17 a, 17 b of the protrusions can beslotted into the opening formed by the folding of the surface describedand intersection of edges 17 a, 17 b are tangent to intersections ofedges 62 a, 62 b in the interior section of the package herein to createa hanging mechanism 43 as shown in FIG. 6 a.

Folding surface 14 at an angle of 180 degrees so that surface 14 isinternally tangent to wall 19, converting the package into a carrierbag.

The package bears optional holes 21 a, 21 b, 13 a, 13 b, ideally four,two on each lateral wall 42, 19. They can take any shape. For example,triangular, circular, oval, rectangular of multangular. The dispositionof the holes described 21 a, 21 b, 13 a, 13 b, despite being optional,enable the salesman to hold up to four packages in each hand as shown inFIG. 5 b.

Thus, the consumer can see and touch the footwear and examine thematerials of manufacture of the specific pair of shoes while at the sametime customer self-service is achieved. On the other hand, the salesmanis relieved of having to memorize the information listed on the salesticker 41, thereby serving consumer needs faster and optimizingpersonal work efficiency.

1. The package for carrying and selling footwear comprising a body that has a receiving space for the footwear as is specified by base panel 18 and two lateral walls 42, 19 extending outward from base panel 18, comprising a lateral wall 42 forming an obtuse angle (a) and for best results between 95 and 120 degrees with wall 4 as well as comprising one uncovered by material opening 45 allowing unhindered viewing and touching of footwear and materials of manufacture.
 2. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1 wherein the package comprising a second uncovered by material opening 45 opposite the said opening of claim
 1. 3. The package for carrying and enabling shoe selling, shoe viewing and shoe touching of claim 1, wherein said package comprising at least one tongue 44 extending outward from wall 4 and is comprised of at least one wall 2 which is inserted into the shoe to secure it safely in a steady position.
 4. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1, wherein said package comprising a hanging mechanism 43 created when folding outward surface 14 at intersection of edges 32 at an angle between 80 and 110 degrees and then the folding of intersection of edges 16, 63 so that the intersections of edges 17 a, 17 b of the protrusions are inserted into the opening formed by the folding of the said surface and so that the intersections of edges 62 a, 62 b are disposed substantially coincident with the interior part of the said package.
 5. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1, wherein said package comprising a handle manufactured by folding surface 14 preferably at an angle of 180 degrees is tangent to the interior of the wall 19 for conversion purposes of the said package into a carry bag.
 6. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1, wherein said package comprising on wall 42 at least one hole preferably 13 a, or and comprising on wall 19 at least one hole preferably 21 a for the transportation and sliding of said package and the said holes have a circular, oval, triangular, rectangular or multiangular shape.
 7. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1, wherein the package wall 26 extends outward from wall 19, thus forming an acute angle and for best results between 60 and 85 degrees between the said walls 26,
 19. 8. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 7 wherein said package comprising a lock 3 extending from wall 4 is inserted into slot 28 of wall 26 to close the said package.
 9. The package for carrying and selling footwear of claim 1, wherein said package is made of paper, cardboard or another type of material like paper pulp or plastic.
 10. A method of enabling the unhindered viewing and touching of footwear and materials of manufacture when the package for carrying or and selling of the said footwear is closed and disposed in any direction including the disposition of said footwear in said package comprising at least an opening that is not covered by any material and include at least a tongue that secures the said footwear in a steady place inside the said package. 